Display device

ABSTRACT

A display device includes: a display panel having a first curved portion and a second curved portion; a window on one surface of the display panel; and a circuit board connected to the display panel, wherein the display panel includes a front display portion and a side display portion which are separated by the first curved portion, and wherein the second curved portion includes a pad portion connected to the circuit board.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority to and the benefit of Korean PatentApplication No. 10-2015-0048385, filed on Apr. 6, 2015, with the KoreanIntellectual Property Office (KIPO), the disclosure of which isincorporated herein in its entirety by reference.

BACKGROUND

1. Field

Embodiments of the present invention relate to a display device, andmore particularly, to a display device having a curvature.

2. Description of the Related Art

With the development of information technology in society, a high demandfor a flat panel display (“FPD”) device, used as a connection mediumbetween a user and information, gives rise to a growing market therefor.

Such FPD devices include organic light emitting diode (“OLED”) displaydevices, liquid crystal display (“LCD”) devices, electrophoretic display(“EPD”) devices, plasma display panel (“PDP”) devices, and the like.

Due to the ease of slimming of FPD devices, FPD devices are used in awide range of applications thereof from household appliances such astelevisions (“TV”) or video players to portable devices such as laptopsor mobile phones.

In order to provide features of flexible display devices or curveddisplay devices from among FPD devices such as OLED display devices, LCDdevices, and EPD devices, various studies are being conducted thereon,in addition to the ease of slimming thereof.

A display panel having a flexible display device is manufactured to befoldable or unfoldable whereas a display panel of a curved displaydevice is manufactured to have a curved surface.

It is to be understood that this background of the technology section isintended to provide useful background for understanding the technologyand as such disclosed herein, the technology background section mayinclude ideas, concepts or recognitions that were not part of what wasknown or appreciated by those skilled in the pertinent art prior to acorresponding effective filing date of subject matter disclosed herein.

SUMMARY

Aspects of embodiments of the present invention are directed to adisplay device having a reduced bezel width.

According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a displaydevice includes: a display panel having a first curved portion and asecond curved portion; a window on one surface of the display panel; anda circuit board connected to the display panel, wherein the displaypanel includes a front display portion and a side display portion whichare separated by the first curved portion, and wherein the second curvedportion includes a pad portion connected to the circuit board.

The circuit board may be on a surface of the second curved portion.

The circuit board may be a flexible printed circuit board.

The display device may further include a printed circuit board connectedto the circuit board and on another surface of the display panel.

The display device may further include a printed circuit board on onesurface of the circuit board, wherein the circuit board is on anothersurface of the display panel.

The circuit board may be on an end portion of the window.

A housing having at least an aperture may be on the window, and the sidedisplay portion may be exposed through the aperture.

The aperture may include a transparent material through which the sidedisplay portion is exposed.

The aperture may include a transparent button member and a biasingmember applying a pressure to the transparent button member.

The transparent button member may include a lens.

According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, adisplay device includes: a display panel having a pair of first curvedportions and a pair of second curved portions; a window on one surfaceof the display panel; and a pair of circuit boards connected to thedisplay panel, wherein the display panel includes a front displayportion and a pair of side display portions, both of the side displayportions being separated from the front display portion by correspondingones of the first curved portions, and wherein the pair of second curvedportions include pad portions connected to respective ones of thecircuit boards.

The circuit boards may be on respective ones of surfaces of the pair ofsecond curved portions.

The circuit boards may be flexible printed circuit boards.

The display device may further include a printed circuit board connectedto the circuit boards and on the other surface of the display panel.

The display device may further include a printed circuit board on asurface of one of the pair of circuit boards, wherein the circuit boardsare on another surface of the display panel.

The circuit boards may be on respective end portions of the window.

A housing having at least an aperture may be on the window, and the sidedisplay portion may be exposed through the aperture.

The aperture may include a transparent material through which the sidedisplay portion is exposed.

The aperture may include a transparent button member and a biasingmember applying a pressure to the transparent button member.

The transparent button member may include a lens.

The foregoing is illustrative only and is not intended to be in any waylimiting. In addition to the illustrative aspects, embodiments, andfeatures described above, further aspects, embodiments, and featureswill become apparent by reference to the drawings and the followingdetailed description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other features and aspects of the present disclosure ofinvention will be more clearly understood from the following detaileddescription taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a display device according toan exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 2A, 2B, and 2C are cross-sectional views taken along line I-I′ ofFIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating a displaydevice according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating a displaydevice according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating a displaydevice according to an embodiment of the present invention; and

FIGS. 6A and 6B are enlarged views of portion “A” of FIG. 5.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Aspects of embodiments of the present invention and methods forachieving them will be made clear from exemplary embodiments describedbelow in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Aspects ofthe present invention may, however, be embodied in many different formsand should not be construed as being limited to the exemplaryembodiments set forth herein. Rather, these exemplary embodiments areprovided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and willfully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art.Aspects of the present invention are defined by the scope of the claimsand equivalents thereof. Therefore, well-known constituent elements,operations and techniques are not described in detail below in order toprevent aspects of the present invention from being obscured. Likereference numerals refer to like elements throughout the specification.

In the drawings, thicknesses of a plurality of layers and areas areillustrated in an enlarged manner for clarity and ease of descriptionthereof. When a layer, area, or plate is referred to as being “on”another layer, area, or plate, it may be directly on the other layer,area, or plate, or intervening layers, areas, or plates may be presenttherebetween. Conversely, when a layer, area, or plate is referred to asbeing “directly on” another layer, area, or plate, intervening layers,areas, or plates are absent therebetween. Further when a layer, area, orplate is referred to as being “below” another layer, area, or plate, itmay be directly below the other layer, area, or plate, or interveninglayers, areas, or plates may be present therebetween. Conversely, when alayer, area, or plate is referred to as being “directly below” anotherlayer, area, or plate, intervening layers, areas, or plates are absenttherebetween.

Throughout the specification, when an element is referred to as being“connected” to another element, the element is “directly connected” tothe other element, or “electrically connected” to the other element withone or more intervening elements interposed therebetween. It will befurther understood that the terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “includes”and/or “including,” when used in this specification, specify thepresence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements,and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of oneor more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements,components, and/or groups thereof.

It will be understood that, although the terms “first,” “second,”“third,” and the like may be used herein to describe various elements,these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms areonly used to distinguish one element from another element. Thus, “afirst element” discussed below could be termed “a second element” or “athird element,” and “a second element” and “a third element” can betermed likewise without departing from the teachings herein.

Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein (including technical andscientific terms) have the same meaning as commonly understood by thoseskilled in the art to which this invention pertains. It will be furtherunderstood that terms, such as those defined in commonly useddictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that isconsistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art andwill not be interpreted in an ideal or excessively formal sense unlessclearly defined in the present specification.

A flexible display device according to embodiments of the presentinvention includes a display panel having curved edges. A display deviceaccording to an exemplary embodiment will be described based on such aflexible display device; however, the type of the display device is notlimited thereto.

A display panel of the flexible display device may be provided on aplurality of surfaces of the flexible display device. For example, aflat portion of the display panel may be provided on a front surface ora rear surface of the flexible display device, and a side portion of thedisplay panel may be provided on a side surface of the flexible displaydevice.

In addition, a curved portion of the display panel may be provided on acurved portion of the flexible display device.

The curved portion of the display panel may be used for a user to viewvirtual buttons for an output and input of information and to viewinformation therethrough.

Hereinafter, an embodiment with respect to a display device 10 will bedescribed with reference to FIGS. 1, 2A, 2B, and 2C.

Referring to FIGS. 1, 2A, 2B, and 2C, the display device 10 according toone embodiment may include a display panel 14, a window 12 disposed onthe display panel 14, and a driving unit connected to the display panel14.

A description pertaining to the display panel 14 will be providedhereinbelow.

The display panel 14 may be a flexible display panel. Hereinafter, itmay be assumed that the display panel 14 is a panel of a flexibleorganic light emitting diode (“OLED”) type display device among varioustypes of flexible display devices. However, the type of the displaypanel 14 according to embodiments of the present invention is notlimited thereto.

The display panel 14 may display an image and may recognize a touchinput externally applied thereto. In addition, the display panel 14 maytransmit externally incident light, and to this end, componentsconstituting the display panel 14 may all be formed of a transparentmaterial or transparent materials.

The display panel 14 may include a display portion.

The display portion may correspond to a central portion of a frontsurface of the display panel 14, and may include a plurality of pixelsfor displaying an image. The plurality of pixels may include a pluralityof red pixels displaying (or configured to emit light having) a redcolor, a plurality of green pixels displaying (or configured to emitlight having) a green color, and a plurality of blue pixels displaying(or configured to emit light having) a blue color. Three adjacent pixelshaving different colors from one another may form a unit pixel fordisplaying a single unit image. In addition, the display portion mayfurther include at least a touch detection element for recognizing atouch input externally applied thereto. The touch detection element maybe formed within the pixel, or may be independently formed in anadditional (e.g., separate) touch panel.

Referring to FIGS. 2A and 2B, the display panel 14 may have a firstcurved portion 20, and a front display portion 11 and a side displayportion 17 which are divided based on (or separated by) the first curvedportion 20. The first curved portion 20 may be bent downward to allowthe front display portion 11 to be perpendicular to the side displayportion 17 as illustrated in FIG. 2B. However, the bent angle of thefirst curved portion 20 is not limited thereto.

The display panel 14 may have a second curved portion 22 extending froma side of the side display portion 17. The second curved portion 22 maybe bent to be perpendicular to the side display portion 17.

The second curved portion 22 may include a pad portion electricallyconnected to a circuit board 16 of a panel driving unit.

The pad portion may be parallel to the front display portion 11 of thedisplay panel 14 or may be bent toward a lower surface of the displaypanel 14.

A description pertaining to the window 12 will be provided hereinbelow.

The window 12 may be disposed on the front display portion 11 and theside display portion 17 of the display panel 14, and may be bent to havea shape corresponding to an outer shape of the display panel 14.

The window 12 may be formed of glass (also known as a “display coverglass”) or plastic, and may be flexible or rigid. As necessary, innersurfaces of peripheral inactive portions of the window 12 may include anopaque masking layer such as a black ink, a black plastic film, a silverink, or a silver plastic film, or an opaque masking layer having adifferent color.

A description pertaining to the panel driving unit will be providedhereinbelow.

The panel driving unit may include the circuit board 16, a printedcircuit board (PCB) 15, a driving integrated circuit, and the like.

The circuit board 16 may use a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB),and more particularly, may employ a chip-on-film (COF) scheme. Thecircuit board 16 may include a driving integrated circuit mountedthereon which supplies a data signal and a gate signal for enablingpixels of the display panel 14 to emit light.

The PCB 15 may supply an image data and a timing synchronization signalto the driving integrated circuit.

In one embodiment, referring to FIG. 2A, one side of the circuit board16 may be electrically connected to the pad portion and may be bonded toan end portion of the window 12, and the other side of the circuit board16 may be electrically connected to the PCB 15. The PCB 15 may beinterposed between the display panel 14 and the circuit board 16.

FIG. 2C is a cross-sectional view illustrating another example of acircuit board 16 of the display device according to one embodiment ofthe present invention.

Referring to FIG. 2C, one side of the circuit board 16 may beelectrically connected to the pad portion and may be bonded to the endportion of the window 12, and the other side of the circuit board 16 maybe electrically connected to the PCB 15. The PCB 15 may be disposed on asurface of the circuit board 16. The bonding of the circuit board 16 tothe end portion of the window 12 may prevent or mitigate the secondcurved portion 22 from being externally exposed (e.g., from beingexposed to the outside environment).

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating a displaydevice according to one embodiment of the present invention.

Descriptions of components of the display device according to oneembodiment that are the same as that of the display device according toa previously embodiment will be omitted herein for conciseness.

Referring to FIG. 3, the display device according to the anotherexemplary embodiment may include a display panel 14, a window 12disposed on the display panel 14, a pair of circuit boards 16 a and 16 beach disposed on a corresponding surface of the display panel 14 and ona corresponding end portion of the window 12, the circuit boards 16 aand 16 b being connected to one another, and a PCB 15 connected to thecircuit boards 16 a and 16 b and the display panel 14.

The display panel 14 may be symmetrical to one another based on a centerthereof, and may have a pair of first curved portions 20 a and 20 b atwhich the display panel 14 is bent downwardly from to a front displayportion 11. The first curved portions 20 a and 20 b may be bent to allowthe display panel 14 to have a vertically curved shape. The displaypanel 14 may be divided into portions including the front displayportion 11 and a pair of side display portions 17 a and 17 b, based on(e.g., connected to) the first curved portions 20 a and 20 b.

Meanwhile, the display panel 14 may have a pair of second curvedportions 22 a and 22 b extending from corresponding ones of the sidedisplay portions 17 a and 17 b, respectively. The second curved portion22 a and 22 b may include pad portions electrically connected to thecircuit boards 16 a and 16 b of a panel driving unit. The pad portionmay be parallel to the front display portion 11 of the display panel 14or may be bent toward a lower surface of the display panel 14.

The window 12 may be disposed on the front display portion 11 and theside display portions 17 of the display panel 14, and as illustrated inFIG. 3, may be bent to have a shape corresponding to an outer shape ofthe display panel 14.

One side of each of the circuit boards 16 a and 16 b may be electricallyconnected to the pad portion and may be disposed on the end portion ofthe window 12, and the other side of each of the circuit boards 16 a and16 b may be electrically connected to the PCB 15. The PCB 15 may beinterposed between the display panel 14 and the circuit boards 16 a and16 b.

In still another exemplary embodiment, referring to FIG. 4, one side ofeach of a pair of circuit boards 16 a and 16 b may be electricallyconnected to a pad portion and may be disposed on an end portion of awindow 12, and the other side of each of the pair of circuit boards 16 aand 16 b may be electrically disposed on a lower surface of a displaypanel 14. A PCB 15 may be disposed on a surface of the circuit boards 16a and 16 b.

Hereinafter, a yet another exemplary embodiment with respect to adisplay device will be described.

Referring to FIG. 5, the display device according to the yet anotherexemplary embodiment may include a housing 23.

The housing 23, also referred to as a case, may be formed of plastic,glass, ceramic, a fiber composite, metal, for example, stainless steelor aluminum (Al), other appropriate materials, or a combination thereof.According to embodiments, a portion of the housing 23 may be formed of adielectric material or a low-conductivity material. In anotherembodiment, at least a portion of the housing 23 or at least onecomponent constituting the housing 23 may be formed of metal.

A description pertaining to an aperture 18 will be provided hereinbelow.

The aperture 18 may allow a portion of the display device to be bentsuch that a user may view the display panel 14 through the aperture 18,and may be provided on a side portion of the housing 23. In FIG. 5, thehousing 23 may have a single aperture 18 provided for portions of thedisplay panel 14 including a virtual button, a virtual switch, ascrolling display, and the like. However, the number of the apertures 18is only given by way of example, and the housing 23 may have one or moreapertures, a circular aperture, a linear (e.g., rectangular or havingstraight edges) aperture, an elliptical aperture, an aperture having apredetermined shape, or the like.

Meanwhile, the aperture 18 may be partially or largely filled with atransparent material. The transparent material may include one of thefollowing materials: plastic, glass, and other appropriate transparentmaterials. The transparent material may be flexible or rigid. Thetransparent material may enable portions of the display panel 14 to beaccessible through the aperture 18 of the housing 23.

Referring to FIG. 6A, according to one embodiment of the presentinvention, a transparent button member 24 may be disposed in theaperture 18. The transparent button member 24 may include a conductivematerial 28, and the conductive material 28 may form a portion of atouch detection circuit that detects a touch input on a button memberapplied by a user. A position of a biasing member 32 set between thewindow 12 and the transparent button member 24 is only given by way ofexample. Because the display panel 14 is flexible, the biasing member 32may be disposed behind the window 12.

In the configuration in which the biasing member 32 is positioned behindthe window 12, the transparent button member 24 may deform the displaypanel 14, which is flexible, when a user presses down the transparentbutton member 24. The display panel 14 having the transparent buttonmember 24 may be deformed by applying a pressure on to the biasingmember 32. When the pressure applied thereto is released, the biasingmember 32 may push the transparent button member 24 away from thedisplay panel 14.

Referring to FIG. 6B, the transparent button member 24 may include alens 34 for changing a path of light emitted by the display panel 14.For example, the lens 34 may magnify a text or information displayed onthe side display portion 17. The lens 34 may be formed of a transparentmaterial such as plastic, glass, or the like.

As set forth above, according to one or more exemplary embodiments, thedisplay portion of the display panel may be disposed to extend on to theend portion of the window of the display device, such that an area ofthe black matrix may be reduced and the bezel width may be decreased.

From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that various embodiments inaccordance with the present disclosure have been described herein forpurposes of illustration, and that various modifications may be madewithout departing from the scope and spirit of the present teachings.Accordingly, the various embodiments disclosed herein are not intendedto be limiting of the true scope and spirit of the present teachings.Various features of the above described and other embodiments can bemixed and matched in any manner, to produce further embodimentsconsistent with the invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A display device comprising: a display panelhaving a first curved portion and a second curved portion; a windowdisposed on one surface of the display panel; and a circuit boardconnected to the display panel, wherein the display panel includes afront display portion and a side display portion which are separated bythe first curved portion, and wherein the second curved portion includesa pad portion connected to the circuit board.
 2. The display device ofclaim 1, wherein the circuit board is on a surface of the second curvedportion.
 3. The display device of claim 2, wherein the circuit board isa flexible printed circuit board.
 4. The display device of claim 3,further comprising a printed circuit board connected to the circuitboard and on another surface of the display panel.
 5. The display deviceof claim 3, further comprising a printed circuit board on one surface ofthe circuit board, wherein the circuit board is on another surface ofthe display panel.
 6. The display device of claim 5, wherein the circuitboard is on an end portion of the window.
 7. The display device of claim1, wherein a housing having at least an aperture is on the window, andthe side display portion is exposed through the aperture.
 8. The displaydevice of claim 7, wherein the aperture includes a transparent materialthrough which the side display portion is exposed.
 9. The display deviceof claim 7, wherein the aperture includes a transparent button memberand a biasing member applying a pressure to the transparent buttonmember.
 10. The display device of claim 9, wherein the transparentbutton member includes a lens.
 11. A display device comprising: adisplay panel having a pair of first curved portions and a pair ofsecond curved portions; a window on one surface of the display panel;and a pair of circuit boards connected to the display panel, wherein thedisplay panel includes a front display portion and a pair of sidedisplay portions, both of the side display portions being separated fromthe front display portion by corresponding ones of the first curvedportions, and wherein the pair of second curved portions include padportions connected to respective ones of the circuit boards.
 12. Thedisplay device of claim 11, wherein the circuit boards are on respectiveones of surfaces of the pair of second curved portions.
 13. The displaydevice of claim 12, wherein the circuit boards are flexible printedcircuit boards.
 14. The display device of claim 13, further comprising aprinted circuit board connected to the circuit boards and on the othersurface of the display panel.
 15. The display device of claim 13,further comprising a printed circuit board on a surface of one of thepair of circuit boards, wherein the circuit boards are on anothersurface of the display panel.
 16. The display device of claim 15,wherein the circuit boards are on respective end portions of the window.17. The display device of claim 11, wherein a housing having at least anaperture is on the window, and the side display portion is exposedthrough the aperture.
 18. The display device of claim 17, wherein theaperture includes a transparent material through which the side displayportion is exposed.
 19. The display device of claim 17, wherein theaperture includes a transparent button member and a biasing memberapplying a pressure to the transparent button member.
 20. The displaydevice of claim 19, wherein the transparent button member includes alens.